4 Non Blondes, What’s Up - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ย. 2024
- #virginrock #4nonblondes
This was a fun surprise, discovering Linda Perry’s nimble, colorful, expressive voice and the precision with which she handles it!
Here’s the link to the original song:
• 4 Non Blondes - What's...
/ @amyscut
/ @littleliesel
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by 4 Non Blondes
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Linda Perry is so famous it will come as a shock. After putting the mic down she has written and produced a multitude of number 1 and Grammy award winning songs for other artists
Yep... you beat me to it. Linda was/is a behind-the-scenes type, producing and writing for Brittany Spears, among others.
Linda went on to write and produce hits for Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani; Pink, Adele, Alicia Keys, Courtney Love, James Blunt. She was in inducted into the songwriter hall of fame. It's sad she wasn't marketable outside the then niche LGBT community.
With amy speaking about Bjork, I hope she reacts to Joanna Newsom at some point. Another uniquely singular voice!
Linda Perry writes amazing music. Beautiful by Christina Aguilera...has an interesting story. It was originally written with the intention of giving it to Pink. But the 2 talked...and Linda in her wisdom gave it to Christina. Perfection was made
@@davidstick9207 I saw a documentary about Christina (my wife is a huge fan), and they had behind-the-scenes video of recording that album in the studio. The one part I remember was Christina lying down on a bench with her eyes closed, while Linda blasted Björk's "Bachelorette" through the monitor speakers. What a great way to set a certain mood or mindscape.
Her voice is vibrant and strident. She cuts loose.There is exuberance and freedom in this voice.
Sooo much power.
There's truth in this song too.
@@g3synth205 The power of Greyskull ;)
Her voice is a lot of fun. She's one of the few female vocalists who can pull off what is basically a falsetto, and it's no wonder Amy was wondering at first if she was a man or a woman.
Linda Perry's voice in this song is just so charismatic it's ridiculous. Never fails to make me smile, even laugh.
that's the word for sure
Sorry, I didn't understand: do you think it is charismatic or is it ridiculous. Cannot be both, can it? I am German, perhaps it is a common saying, but I've never heard it....🙈
@@Winona493 = "is just so charismatic THAT it is ridiculous." a figure of speech restated as "It is ridiculous how charismatic her voice is." 😉
This is one of those songs that once you hear it you cannot unhear it, it just sticks in your head.
I know this song from the he man meme for over a decade first so in my mind thats what I hear
These classical folks better consider for a moment that this type of music will have you living in a van down by the river. Great video!
Ha ha!
Saw 4 Non Blondes supporting Neil Young at Slane Castle, Dublin in 1993. One of the best concert days of my life.
Interesting fact about this song is it was going to be titled What’s Going On but Marvin Gaye already had a monster hit with that title so they adapted and called it What’s Up and so you don’t hear that in the song🎶🎶🎶
I've heard Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car", thinking it was a male singer, for many years until I found out otherwise.
My best friend in high school used to sing this for me. Sitting on her front porch, looking over the paddock having our morning coffee and smoke.
I love the authenticity and honesty in this song. It feels real and unfiltered. Linda Perry's voice is amazing and so skilled but it doesn't draw attention to itself in a way that makes it feel over produced or look at what I'm doing. It just feels real. It was a great era for that style of authentic and honest artists, 4 Non Blondes, Alanis Morissette, Joan Osborne, etc.
Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc.....
Til Tuesday/Aimee Mann…
The ladies at Theater of Tragedy and the Gathering. Kari Rueslatten-3rd and the mortal.
Danzig, the Tea Party...
so many great bands, boys and girls at the 90's
Glad I lived musically this decade (meaning being a teenager there..)
This is one of the songs we could categorize as "one-hit wonder". It's not unusual in rock /pop music for a band to be known by only one song , but a very good one.
And as with many of these one hit wonders a little deep dive shows that some members of the group are responsible for later success of others. Linda Perry wrote hits for most female pop-stars from 2000 onwards.
Most insane example of this was Buggles who went to join Yes one was also founding member of "Asia" and other became superstar producer for numerous no1 hits.
@@Artanis99the artist you are meaning isn't the Buggles, that was the band name, his name is Trevor Horn.
@@garymaidman625 Buggles were made of Trevor Horn (guitar, vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboard) and both joined Yes. Afterwards Downes founded "Asia" and Horn became monster of a producer. So in this case I named them as a group.
@@Artanis99 And you are right, "video killed the radio star". MASSIVE one hit wonder. first song ever played on MTV.
Trevor Horn, hes fantastic @@Artanis99
The connection and passion of her voice is utterly amazing. What a delivery!
Always liked how many voices are inside Linda Perry's voice. It's like a vocal clown car. So interesting!
You stumbled into one of the great songs all time👀👀👀 This song will be just as great many generations from now because its relatable for every generation🎶🎶🎶
It just blows my mind that this song came out over 30yrs ago. I remember it like it was yesterday...which dates me a little bit. I'm 59 yrs old. I was already married and had 3 kids. Bloody hell, where does the time go.
I'm surprised this song only reached #14 on the Billboard list since it was such a massive hit here in Sweden. Certainly the biggest of 1993.
You been picking some special songs for sure! This is a amazing song
Linda Perry is a very known name in the music business. So many hits and great songs for others, so many hit albums where she was producer.
It's crazy to me that someone with THAT voice has primarily worked as a writer/producer for other singers. I mean she's been massively successful at it, but still...pretty interesting.
I think what connects Linda Perry and bjork is their freedom of emotional expression in their singing.
Yes! This is why the singer Linda Perry most reminds me of is Janis Joplin 😊
@@goosebump801 i can see that, only (much) less substance-dependant...
@@artursandwich1974 Absolutely!
Add Kate Bush to that list.
On my all time great songs playlist. Simply stunning.
Even with this great hit the album is highly underrated.
This album was chock full of hits..... they just didn't get a lot of airplay. But it doesn't mean this wasn't Stellar!! Everyone that has this magic touch their ears and heart has been moved.....
You can't help it!
They certainly are Bigger, Better, Faster, ..... Give me more Please!
@@daisypooch4034 Luckily, there is a little more, and truly underrated: Her two solo albums (as Linda Perry) are wonderful.
@@daisypooch4034chock full of good songs is not the same as saying chock full of hits. Four Non Blondes are a one hit wonder.
@@garymaidman625 Yeah, and then she went on to write and produce a whole string of hits for Brittany Spears and others in the female pop genre. Granted the other 3 non-blondes were not involved to my knowledge.
@@sootikins that's kinda not my point. The person I was replying to said the album the song came from was chock full of hits, which is wrong. What's Up is the only hit for not only the band, but if we are going there, for Linda Perry as a performing artist. Yes, she wrote hits for other artists, but she herself never had another hit and is therefore a one hit wonder. The band only released one album and this was the only hit from the album, therefore the band are a one hit wonder.
One of the best female voices ever.
Don't get carried away 😊😊
I totally agree . definitely one of the most powerful
whatever you say Kerbdog :D
I owe Linda a huge Thank You for being the rock singer who challenged me (just by existing and "coming onto my radar") to 'sing along or else,' and thereby convincing me that I possessed a modicum of signing ability and talent - sadly underutilized and underdeveloped to this day, but still.... I was taken aback at first by the "in your face" quality of her vocals, but decided that trying to imitate her, even a little bit, would be good for my psyche and body - and that proved to be the case.
OMG. I started singing along with this album in my 20s. And eventually could sing most of the songs acapella. Every 6 months for many years after that, I'd get into a singing jag and would sing acapella for an hour or so where no one could hear me. "What's Up?" and "Drifting" were my two main go-to songs. And it all started with this album! So strange to me, but wonderful, that you had the same experience.
Dolly Parton recently covered this song with Linda. She is a phenomenal songwriter, writing with so many folx Pink, Cgristina Aguliara, Celion Dion, James Blunt Adele. THis song is such a GenX anthem
First I was like "Oh, that's nice, she's reacting to a female lead rock band". But then I realized Cranberries hasn't been featured on the channel yet. This is sacrilege! 😭
PLEASE do yourself the favor of listening/watching the Official Music Video for this one..TRUST ME!!
I really feel the video adds more to the music in this case. Sometimes it doesn't, but here I think it helps feel? understand? the music more.
I highly recommend checking out a video of this song. Not necessary as a reaction video but just to see them performing this.
Linda Perry is awesome, both as a songwriter for herself and other performers. For a while, when I still used Twitter, she was following my progress as a songwriter. She’ll always have my respect. Plus, I probably listened to “What’s Up” on repeat the most as a teenager.
The entire album is amazing! I am a huge fan of Linda Perry. Her solo stuff is great too!
Here here!!!🎉
And as I added earlier don't forget deep dark robot , the band that she was in when she made her last album
Her album 'In Flight' from 1995 is really amazing. Much mellower and darker than 4 Non Blondes or any of her other pop songwriting stuff.
@@spiderboris79 Life in a Bottle, In my Dreams, and Freeway are my faves fron this one!
Linda Perry is an alto voice naturally, so easy to confuse with a male high tenor. Her range, though, is an astounding F#2-F#6.
Oh yes - Bjork, another great artist!
This is a magnificent performance, one of a kind, I never tire of it.
One of my favourite songs.
one of the few songs that I never get tired of
I love the lower "heys", so calming.
I love this song and I love the lyrics. I am really glad that you enjoyed this so much, particularly Linda Perry's voice, vocal techniques and expressiveness. Her voice is like Alanis Morissette in that it has a wide range of expressive techniques and textures. Loved your comment that there is a certain quality and spirit to this music that is very attractive and youthful. The music itself is great, but it is her vocals and lyrics that captures my attention. Great reaction!
Linda Perry and Grace Slick have a duet on Knock Me Out, and it's absolutely fantastic.
Not many vocalists have this kind of control of their vocal acrobatics. She's great at it. Mickey Thomas and Rik Emmet (from rock genres) come to mind as other vocalists who have this level of control. Great reaction!
I'd put Mike Patton in there as he has excellent voice control
@@vinniedixon1140 Nice. I've only heard a couple Faith No More tunes. I'll hafta check out some more. Thanks for the tip!
Rik is amazing.
@@UrsaMajorPrime IKR! Fight the Good Fight!
@@jamesjohnston9225 Thunder Seven is my fav album, so underated in the shadow of their previous hits.
Great reaction, Amy, and thank you! I'm familiar with the name 4 Non Blondes but never heard anything by them. I too really enjoyed the voice! I'm going to have to listen to more.
I bought the CD when this came out. I was also surprised to see that all members of the band are female when I saw them on MTV. I love her voice.
I thought the guitarist was a man, but the rest were women.
This song has as much honest, heartfelt, passion it as any classical music piece does, maybe that is why it is so appealing to you?
Sense8 did such an incredible job of showing the feeling of this song through the connection of the characters! 🤍
Linda's voice is somehow both extremely raw, and super precise. It kind of reminds me of something Picaso said, and I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like "I had to learn to paint like a master, before I could paint like a child."
I'm 62, and didn't listen to the radio for about 20 years from 1990-2010. When I finally heard this song, I was so fascinated by it that I played it for my kids-- the mystery of her gender, the yodeling, the way the "Oohs" materialized on surprising pitches, the way they appended that slow acoustic coda, the way they interspersed gentle and harsh elements... this may be the most interesting 1-4-5 song I've ever heard!
The mystery of her gender? She is female, there's no mystery there.
Well 4 chords actually.
I have to ask, why did you not listen to music for 20 years? I hope it was nothing tragic. On a separate note, check out "Drifting" off of this album. I think it's even better. th-cam.com/video/PpZ_zFyeBV8/w-d-xo.html
@@Marnee4191 he didn't say he didn't listen to music, he said he didn't listen to the radio.
@@garymaidman625 Ah, thanks for pointing that out.
Can't believe it! I LOVE this song! Can't wait to hear this video.
I knew this song when it came out in the 90s, but never saw the video as I life in South Africa and we didn't have MTV or VH1. I only recently saw the video and was surprised at how big Linda's mouth is, which is probably why she has such an interesting voice. Also, her guitar has a very interesting shape.
A suggestion: The Communards, "Don't leave me this way". A counter tenor and a deep voiced female.
Yes, Jimmy Somerville and Sarah Jane Morris….incredible each on their own!
@@kd8199 He was great in Bronski Beat too.
Love this song!!! 🤘☮
When you mentioned the androgynous elements in the vocals, I was reminded of another artist who is not only beyond talented in their own right, but moreover , has an incredibly unique yet incredibly appealing quality to their vocals. The artist’s given name Laura Pergolizzi and performs under the name LP. The track I recommend as an introduction to her work is “Lost on You”. There is a ton of interesting facts about LP but and her career but I’m sure that you’ll discover a lot of them if you choose to take my recommendation. Love the channel and your videos.
One of us 🙏🙏
It's a real shame we didn't get to hear her voice more than we did.
As someone who grew up listening to music from the 60s and 70s, I love this song and Linda's voice. It's like a brief return to the 60s, in that I feel this voice is real and honest.
She takes you on a journey filled with emotions .
I think there's a good reason that Linda Perry titles this song “What's Up” instead of “What's Going On.” While it is not uncommon for different songs to share the same title, there are some titles that are so iconic they are almost untouchable. “What's Going On” is the title of a Marvin Gaye song, as well as the title of his 1971 concept album. A highly socially conscious album, “What's Going On” deals with issues of alienation, race, the Vietnam War and even the environment. Since 2003, the magazine Rolling Stone has periodically conducted a poll of music industry figures including artists, producers and journalists to name the 500 greatest albums of all time. “What's Going On” has always been in the top 5, and on the latest iteration, from just a couple of years ago, it reached the number 1 spot. The song “What's Going On” has also been ranked number 4 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. You ought to take a look.
Funnily enough I’d take this What’s Going On over that one any day. Rock.
Yay! She likes it! She really likes it!😊
Oh lord I hope we get a "great covers" video for the He-Man version of this song 😆
Linda Perry does a fine interpretation of Robert Plant on "Misty Mountain Hop" on the Zeppelin tribute album "Encomium".
I love that you love this special song. They weren't allowed to use the title "What's Going On" because Marvin Gay had already used that title.
Linda Perry has had great success as a song writer for others (e.g. Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Pink and many others) as well as a record producer with her own labels. She is in the songwriters hall of fame.
I could be wrong, but I think it wasn’t a case of “not allowed”, there are many songs with the same title as another completely different song. What I think was the case was simply that they didn’t want people to think it was a cover before hearing it.
@@CaseAgainstFaith1 could be 👍
Love your channel and reactions!
7:21 Yes, she “sings the song, up and down, and all around.” It provides a pivotal soundtrack moment in S1 of Netflix’s series Sense8 from the Wachowskis. No spoilers; check it out in your own time.
I actually liked quite a bit of the album and her voice carries every song.
Non-blonde jokes may be tempting, but Blonde Nun jokes are even more tempting 😀
Be careful, Nun jokes can be "Habit" forming.
grounded and empathetic. i feel like I would trust someone with that voice
Interesting connecting Linda Perry with Björk. I get a lot of Robert Plant from her singing, though there are points in this song where she even reminds me of Tiny Tim of all people! But nobody can traipse through all those styles and tones quite like her, it's her voice. Some artists that I connect her with: from the past, Heart (kinda that 'female Led Zeppelin' thing I guess). Contemporaries, KD Lang and Edie Brickell. Following in her footsteps, Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette. Far from an exhaustive list!
Pure power in that voice. Their version of Misty Mountain Hop was excellent. If memory serves, they split up right after recording it though.
Good call I totally forgot about that one
She has a great voice and many great songs that are not as famous as What's Up. And her range of expression is great - I love a beautiful floating ballad "Drifting" and a hard, heavy "Morphine and Chocolate"; both from their only album. Very different styles, yet she manages to fit extremely well in both songs.
At 10:55, a Different "LP" (not Linda Perry), does a good job with vocal acrobatics that border upon amazing.. "LP - Lost On You (Live)"
Linda Perry is a music producer and writer for others songs ❤
Great reaction as always! When I think about this song I often wonder “is this a great song or is it just an ordinary song with an incredible vocal?” I’m still not sure, but I love it. 😁
It’s a lot better than ordinary. Linda Perry wrote it, there’s a clue. But never mind who wrote it. It’s a great song.
It's a great song. It's powerful, meaningful and honest.
I'm so happy that she liked this song. It's still one of my favorites to play and sing. I'm wondering if her idea of pop/rock is what plays on commercial radio and/or supermarkets?? That would explain her (and other classically trained musicians) biais. If she only knew what wonders are out there. I wish I could have her listen to what I'm listening now. Btw anyone have recommendations for songs, maybe less known, everyone should listen too at least onece in their lifetime.
I have just come across your channel. Amazing stuff from you. The way you break a song down and explain things I find a very interesting. You certainly know your stuff. And your comments and explaining things about a singers voice is certainly nice and deep and easy to understand. Nice job. Brilliant stuff. Lots of love and kisses to you. Please keep up your good work. A new fan of yours.
If you’re going to sing like this do it well and she does. The song is amazing. The music the lyrics. The distorted guitar. The level of the production. The mix there’s nothing to critique. It’s a pleasure to listen to this song. It stands on its own. I think it will also stand the test of time. And be a classic piece of music.
Song hits hard, right to the soul
It’s all about the vocal and lyrics. Great reaction. Thanks Virgin Rock.
100% - I was actually surprised this song was on this channel, as musically it's a pretty bland composition i.e. 4 chords that never change, not even for the chorus or a key change. That's just pop music I guess, but the lyrics and vocal performance is more what this song is about.
@@noggintube yeah I agree but what could they do musically that wouldn’t distract from the vocal? Add some jangle and then some heaviness just to reinforce the dynamics, don’t need a guitar solo, she is the guitar solo. Doesn’t need anything fancy or any instruments at all. It think pop songs are two minutes of essentials and nothing else
@@Hartlor_Tayley I was agreeing with you, but merely pointing out I was surprised to see this on a channel like this, which studies the musicality of pieces more. Plenty of songs with great lyrics and singing have far more depth to them, whereas this is just really a basic pop tune. Don't take that as a negative view, just an observation.
@@noggintube oh yeah I get it. I agree with you, there are a lot of more interesting musical songs in Rock but so much of it is also more about the feel and quality of the energy and doesn’t have alot of qualities like classical. Three chord rock and roll will always be great for its own reasons.
@@Hartlor_Tayley I wish I could give you a double like for your comment.
May I just say how much I like these random reactions! And again, seeing you enjoying a song is amazing. Well, of course, I hope you'll still tell us if you don't like something. 😉 But it's a real joy watching you when you genuinely like something that I like as well. It's a special kind of videos on this channel for me. 😊🖤
Tom waits.
Cemetary polka.
Good lordy YES! We NEED some Tom.
Yes!. Man is a legend.
@@oldgamer4252 👍
weird al, all the polkas
Somehow this song always manages to put me in a good mood. Suppose it could be the key, or its melodies, etc. But I just appreciate that the tune can lift me up.
"There's just something, SOMETHING about it..." What the French call a certain... I don't know what - Dr. Evil (Austin Powers)
If it's any consolation, when I saw you were reacting to this; I KNEW you would like it. I knew it.
In a similar vocal vein, check out Concrete Blonde "Happy Birthday."
So glad you like this song. ♥
I absolutely adore this song. The thing that's always confused me though is the title. Not once does she ever say "What's Up". She says "What's Going On". The only thing I could find is because it was to avoid confusion with Marvin Gayes song "What's Going On"
The title role of Akhnaten (Philip Glass) is a Counter Tenor.
Dolly Parton did a cover. It's lovely!
This song was written as a path uphill and downhill. The order of verses take you up that hill, plateaus and reverse order downhill. Perfection.
Hi, gr8 episode. I was in a modern hits cover band, and played for over 7 years. It's nice 2see you vocalize the Emotions. thanks L.A. ou
Linda Perry is very active in music behind the scenes
One of the greatest songwriters not many people have heard of outside of this one song.
Vlad & Amy, I encourage you to sample the progressive rock band Leprous who have a unique musical style. They combine vocal versatility with impressive and dynamic song composition & often incorporate classical cello elements. I recommend "At the bottom", "On Hold", "Stuck" or "Running Low" - but they have many other impressive songs
I always could not help but hear "Don't Worry, Be Happy" whenever this song plays. It seems to me there is a measure by measure, chord by chord similitude in these two songs. Even the chorus matches. It just makes enjoying this song imposible for me.
I so hope you do Tori Amos Silent all these Years. Another incredible powerful female voice and artist. She is classically trained.
If you like interesting female voices, try Brandi Carlisle, The Story. A very emotional song.
Great song. You are a musical inspiration
she has become a successful producer
Morphine and chocolate and dear Mr President are two great songs off this album
Very catchy and unique song. Love the vocals and hook. I recall a couple songs from the past where they bounce around the vocal range like that, but I can't think of the names. There are not only a lot fewer great voices today, but there are also a lot fewer great, unique voices. I never understood the title not matching the lyrics, but then the eclectic style of this bad requires license.
I say Hey, what's going on? She had a great voice range
Love this song. I have to turn the volume up when it comes out the radio
I like that the fact they're called "4 non-blondes" has really tickled you.
P!nk does a lovely cover of this.
This is a great song. I don't even need to know what it's about, all I know is that it's heartfelt. She sings like a hero!
It's simply about life, how hard it is, how we try, how we want to get somewhere, how we aren't always sure of things but we know we have to take risks, how we love living, and we continue on! The basics!